While most UNM students were catching up on much needed rest or just partying until the break of dawn this spring break, the Lobo women's basketball team was very busy.
UNM clinched an automatic birth to NCAA tournament with its three-game sweep of the Mountain West Conference Tournament. After a few days off, the Lobos were back in action on Saturday and won their first round NCAA tournament game against the University of Miami, 91-85. The game marked UNM's most defining moment in team history, but during March Madness there is no rest for the weary.
Now, the Lobos must take on third-seeded Mississippi State University in a showdown to see who will advance to the elusive Sweet 16.
The Bulldogs are led by the terrific tandem of sophomore point guard Tan White and senior forward LaToya Thomas. These individuals proved just how effective they could be in MSU's 73-47 blowout victory over Manhattan. Both players scored 22 points with Thomas resting the final minutes.
Lobo head coach Don Flanagan said that a player like Thomas is hard to deal with because of her versatility.
"She picks and chooses her spots," he said. "She has a great soft touch. She can post you up or take you outside, she's versatile."
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Flanagan said that Lindsey Arndt would be assigned the job of guarding Thomas. He also said that senior Cristal Garcia would draw the assignment of defending White because of her quickness and persistence.
"I'm going to go out on the perimeter and guard her pretty far out," Garcia said. "If she does post me up, I have Jordan and Chelsea to help me out. I'm not too worried about it."
The Bulldogs used stingy defense and explosive offense in the contest. The Lady Jaspers missed their first 13 shots of the game and were unable to make it close after that.
While MSU cruised to an easy win, the Lobos were forced to fight tooth and nail for their victory. If not for a barrage of threes by Moore, and a boost from the 16,000 plus, UNM would most likely be watching the second round from the stands.
Now that the Lobos have gotten the monkey off of their backs, they look to continue their hot streak. UNM has won seven in a row and post an outstanding 10-1 record at home this year. Although the home court should serve as an advantage, the Lobos will need to do several things better this time around to move on.
Moore had a terrific game scoring 18 points and grabbing nine rebounds, but she also had five turnovers, many of which came as a result of Miami's quickness and full-court pressure. Flanagan said that although his squad did have a hard time with the pressure, he does not expect to see it as much from the Bulldogs.
Adams will also need to continue her dominance inside for UNM to have a chance. She had 27 points and seven boards in the opener. Adams also recorded an amazing eight blocks in the game. UNM will need the same kind of defensive intensity against MSU.
The key to a Lobo victory will be to limit mistakes and not let the Bulldogs get off to a big lead.
UNM takes on MSU tonight at 7:23 at The Pit. A full house is expected and the game can be heard on 610 AM or seen on ESPN 2.
